With multimedia standards emerging which enable the enhancement of peer to peer and group calls with the addition of multimedia content, features have been made available to communication units in wireless communication networks such as Radio Access Networks (RANs), operated by some service providers in connection with the provision of enhanced multimedia services. Communication units are now being provided with additional features and components such as cameras and the like capable of dramatically enhancing the communication experience for users, and providing the desired multimedia content.
Some communication networks support one-to-one or group communications for voice or data services. Some networks often provide Push-To-Talk (PTT) call initiation and audio floor control. Group calls typically rely on a Push-To-Talk (PTT) call initiation, such as commonly used in dispatch radio systems. In a PTT communication, audio floor control is typically established through a contention type protocol, that is, the first communication unit to activate a PTT button when the channel is free will be granted the channel and other communication units attempting to PTT when the floor is occupied will not be granted the channel. Thus a speaker in an active communication must press a talk button (PTT button) before talking and release the talk button when finished talking to relinquish the floor thus allowing another participant in the call to obtain the floor.
PTT communications may be conducted using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) as described, for example, in Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Request For Comments (RFC) 2543, 3261, and 3265. Present systems do not provide or support flexible multimedia services such as may be available with communication unit technology such as cameras and the like.